Sugar Cookie Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo) (2024)

Sugar Cookie Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo) (1)

Do you remember what you got for Christmas when you were sixteen? Neither do I,but I can tell you that was the year my momended a huge argument between us by shoving her fist into a raw chicken, treating it like a puppet, and refusing to answer questions unless I directed them TO THE CHICKEN.

And she can’t tell you what she got for Christmas when she was seven, but she’s never forgotten the time her mom brought a horse in the house to cheer her up during a long recovery from pneumonia. (The horse never forgot, either. It started breaking in and making itself sandwiches in the kitchen.)

It’s so easy to get preoccupied with wrappingpresents (which I love giving) and checking off lists this time of year. So easy, in fact, that we can forget to give our kids the one thing that will last a lifetime: MEMORIES.

Some of my favorite childhood memories happenedin the kitchen: baking, throwing pasta against the wall, and even once turning our tile floorinto a slip n’ slide. Unfortunately, those memories were alsofilled with neon cereal and fake cheese, whichcontributed to the health struggles I faced later on.

With my kids, I want to bring all the magic and none of the junk, which is why we spent one of our mornings this week baking up sugar cookies. Since it’s pretty much the best time of year to bake, I thought I would share the recipe with you.

It’s adapted from this paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I’ve dialed up the vanilla and made the dough a bit more firm so that it’s easier to roll. The dough and frosting are not super sweet, because I wanted my littles to be able to use sugar sprinkles liberally without the cookie becoming too sweet, so you’ll want to adjust the sweetness using sprinkles or even just plain rapadura, maple or coconut sugar over the top.

Now, I’m not saying it’s going to be perfect

Making memories is messy. You might end up mixing the frosting with a lopsided hand mixer and splatteritall over the wall.

You might carefully bob and weave to prevent countless kid spills, then dump saltall over the kitchen table. You might even drop your phone in a bowl of frosting.

Butyour kids won’t remember that. They’ll remember sprinkles, and icing, and laughter, and the way the preschoolershouted, “Yay, we’re going to eat humans!” when you suggest gingerbread men.

Sugar Cookie Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo) (2)
Sugar Cookie Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo) (3)
Sugar Cookie Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo) (4)
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They’ll remember YOU, guiding the way they roll out the dough and talking with them about what’s on their mind. Andthat’s exactly as it should be.

Sugar Cookie Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo) (7)

A note on decorating

Regular food dye posesa “rainbow of risks” – cancer, hyperactivity, and more. I’d much prefer to create beautiful colors with naturally derived plant, fruit, and veggie extracts,thankyouverymuch. To decorate, we used:

Sugar Cookie Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo)

Decorated with naturally colored sprinkles and natural food dye, these gluten-free sugar cookies are super easy to make and fun to decorate!

Course Desserts

Cuisine German

Servings 5 people

Calories 3166kcal

Author Heather Dessinger

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F.

  • Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.

  • Add wet ingredients and stir well.

  • Roll dough into a ball and chill it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

  • Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on parchment paper or wax paper. Dust your rolling pin with arrowroot flour, sprinkle the dough, and roll it to about ⅛ inch thick. Cut out shapes using your cookie cutters, then use a spatula to place the cookies on a greased cookie sheet (or one that has been lined with parchment paper.)

  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, then allow to cool before decorating.

Nutrition

Calories: 3166kcal | Carbohydrates: 149g | Protein: 106g | Fat: 261g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Cholesterol: 225mg | Sodium: 853mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 50g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 947IU | Calcium: 1083mg | Iron: 19mg

Print Pin

3.89 from 18 votes

Easy Frosting

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Calories 908kcal

Author Mommypotamus

Equipment

  • mixing bowl

  • fork

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp pastured butter (This is a slightly yellow buttercream frosting. For a whiter frosting you'll want to use ½ cup sustainably harvested palm shortening but although the palm version is pictured my kids ended up really preferring the butter flavor)
  • ¼ cup arrowroot powder (or more if needed to thicken the frosting)
  • ¼ cup thick honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (or make your own vanilla with this recipe)
  • pinch sea salt
  • natural food dye (optional)

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients except the optional food dye in a bowl and mix using a fork (or hand mixer) until well-combined.

  • Add optional food dye until the desired color is reached. The dye tends to thin out the frosting a bit and make it more spreadable. If not using food dye, add a bit more butter or palm shortening until desired consistency is reached.

Nutrition

Calories: 908kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Sodium: 603mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 2099IU | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

Sugar Cookie Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo) (10)

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Sugar Cookie Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo) (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you don't put enough flour in sugar cookies? ›

It's so easy to over add on flour which will make a dry cookie. Not enough flour though won't allow the cookie to hold its super crisp shape. The dough will be ready when it pulls away from the side of the bowl when mixing, is a cohesive dough (not super crumbly), and is soft and squishy.

What can you substitute for flour in sugar cookies? ›

11 best flour substitutions
  1. Chickpea flour. Often confused with besan (see below), chickpea flour is made from ground white chickpeas. ...
  2. Almond flour. Almond flour is an excellent alternative to have in your kitchen cupboard. ...
  3. Gluten-free flour mixture. ...
  4. Coconut flour. ...
  5. Gram flour (besan) ...
  6. Rice flour. ...
  7. Buckwheat flour. ...
  8. Oat flour.
Jan 31, 2023

How do you keep gluten-free cookies from falling apart? ›

Chilling helps the flours and xanthan gum absorb liquid, which makes the dough sturdier and easier to handle. Without a proper rest, your cookies are likely to crumble. Think of mix-ins as the Spanx of the cookie world. They are a sly way to ensure that your cookies look like cookies, not misshapen gluten-free blobs.

Can I substitute almond flour for regular flour in sugar cookies? ›

Can you Substitute Almond Flour for Regular Flour? Almond flour can be substituted for regular flour at a 1:1 ratio. It is important to note that almond flour may require more egg to bind the flour.

What happens if I don't put baking powder in sugar cookies? ›

Even without baking powder, a well-aerated dough will still puff with steam. If that supply cuts off before the cookies set, a soft dough will collapse in on itself. If it continues until the end, the air pockets are preserved as the cookie's crumb.

How does extra flour vs less flour impact the cookie? ›

Flour is a stabilizer and thickener and controls how much the cookie rises. It holds the cookie together, providing it with its structure. If you use too little flour your cookie won't keep its shape but if you use too much you'll end up with a thick tasteless cookie.

Which alternative flour is best for cookies? ›

Millet flour. Millet is another tiny grainlike seed containing a modest amount of protein and fiber. It yields a flour with a “soft, starchy consistency,” Jones explains, which makes it a great choice for gluten-free baked goods like cookies, muffins, and chocolate cake.

Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder for sugar cookies? ›

Baking soda is generally about three times stronger than baking powder, so adjust your recipe accordingly. Baking soda and baking powder can produce cookies with different textures. Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies.

Can I use self-rising flour instead of all-purpose for sugar cookies? ›

However, a very small amount will help give the cookies a little rise so they're not too dense. All Purpose Flour - For many recipes, you can substitute self-rising flour with little other adjustments. However, for no-spread sugar cookies, you'll want to use just all purpose flour.

What happens when you use gluten-free flour in cookies? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

What holds gluten-free cookies together? ›

Best Gluten-Free Flour for Sugar Cookies

When you see the term “1-to-1” or “measure-for-measure” it usually indicates that the flour contains a binder such as xanthan gum to keep your baked goods from falling apart. That said, be sure to read the label and locate “xanthan gum” before purchasing.

Should I add xanthan gum to gluten-free cookies? ›

Using xanthan gum helps provide some of the stickiness that gluten free goods lack, replacing some elasticity. Xanthan gum mimics some of gluten's most essential properties by sticking to flour and its moisture. This helps create moist goods that hold their shape after being baked.

How much almond flour do I use to replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour? ›

It requires different measurements and adjustments to achieve the right texture in baked goods. A good rule of thumb is to use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of almond flour for every 1 cup of wheat flour in a recipe. But not all recipes are suitable for almond flour substitution.

Why do my almond flour cookies fall apart? ›

Typically, almond flour cookies fall apart because of a measuring error; weigh your flour to be certain you are using the correct amount. Additionally, it's important to let the cookies cool completely and set before removing them from the baking sheet.

What happens if you use too little flour in cookies? ›

As a bonus, I did a little research to find out just what role each ingredient plays in chocolate chip cookies, so you can adjust your recipe however you feel like experimenting. Flour adds fluff and texture to the cookies. Adding too little flour can cause cookies to be flat, greasy, and crispy.

How does less flour affect cookies? ›

More flour will result in a "breadier" cookie. It will have more structure and be less chewy. Less flour will do the opposite, resulting in a softer, flatter cookie.

How do you fix cookie dough with too little flour? ›

This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix. Soft – Dough that's “soft” or “runny” can be thickened by adding one or two tablespoons of flour to your mix.

How do I know if my cookie dough needs more flour? ›

Pay attention to the consistency of the dough: The dough should be firm enough to hold its shape, but not so dry that it crumbles when you try to shape it into cookies. If the dough is too sticky, it may need more flour.

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